Oslo 2011 Day Five: Women's 10K Classic

The winning streak continues! Marit Bjørgen donned the golden winner's jacket again after an incredibly close 10 K classic race today at Holmenkollen.

Marit accepts her third gold of the World Championships

It was a 'nail-biter,' one for the record books as Polish superstar Justyna Kowalczyk attempted to chase down the unbeatable Norwegian. Early on, it looked like she was going to do it- after starting 30 seconds behind her, Kowalczyk had gained 11 seconds in the first 2.2K! But you never know until all of the finishers cross the line. That statement couldn't have been more true today.



Bjørgen collapsed across the finish line and waited face-down in the snow to see the Pole fight through the last 100 meters, waiting on the commentator's call as to who would take the gold. In the end, Bjørgen came out four seconds ahead, leaving Kowalcyzk the silver medal once again.

Although Marit's medal count was what made the headlines, the Finnish skiiers put in performances worthy of note. Four of their competitors placed within the top 10, with Aino-Kaisa Saarinen taking home the bronze. Krista Lahteenmaki was 5th, and Pirjo Muranan finished three seconds behind her in 6th place. Kerttu Niskanen was 8th.

Holly Brooks led the American women in 27th place. Sadie Bjorgen and Kikkan Randall followed in 29th and 32nd, respectively. Ida Sargent was the final finisher from the US in 51st place.

Additional Links:
Full Results
FasterSkier's report of today's event
Recap of Day Four: Men's 30K Pursuit
Recap of Day Three: Women's 15K Pursuit
Recap of Day One: Skate Sprint